Thorns in Mossflower-part 1
by Rose
Summary: Meet Benji, and a few unwanted visitors for Redwall Abbey...


Throns in Mossflower-part 1  
  
Benji Sable knew nothing of his past. His earliest memory was sitting in Mossflower Woods, freezing cold and pegged to the floor...  
  
Now he lived peacefully in Redwall Abbey. He had been found as a tiny mouse babe, four thorns pushed through all four paws, effectively  
holding down his tiny body, unable to get up from the cold forest floor. Attached to one of the huge thorns there was a tag, which said in loopy   
writing,  
'Ravenclaw is coming. No beast is safe...'  
  
Beside him was the bloody remains of a mouse, lying eternally like a pincuision of thorns. The Redwallers raised the child,   
now fondly known as 'Thorny' or 'Benji Thornton'. Rarely was he called by his proper name, Benjamin Sable, so called because of  
his black coloured coat. He had been named by Abbot Benidict when he was brought throgh the doors of the Abbey for the first time.   
He had grown up a peaceful creature, not knowing about his past, and not really wanting to.  
  
But Benji had been scarred for life. The horrible marks on his four paws reminded him constantly that he was different from his friends.   
Sometimes he felt that he didn't fit in, that he wasn't a real Redwaller like his friends. And sometimes, just occasionally he  
would take out the largest thorn with the label attached and read it in the moonlight. It was these times that he saw him. He would appear in Benji's  
dreams and whisper softly but urgently to the young mouse:  
  
"Beware the flying killer, who fights with tooth and claw,  
As evil as this killer seems he's servant to much more.  
Just when you feel you're safe at last, destiny will come to call,  
But be a valient warrior, be brave and stand up tall.  
When it comes to saving Redwall only one beast will do,  
The mouse with fur of sable and the blood red thorn held too"  
  
Benji couldn't put his finger on it, but he was sure he'd seen the mouse Warrior somewhere before...  
  
~  
It was the day after such a dream, and Benji was walking in Mossflower Woods with his best friend, a tiny but extremely fast fieldmouse, Pansy.  
"Martin the Warrior came to me again last night" Benji said casually.   
  
"Really! Again! That must be the fifth time this season!" Pansy exclaimed. "I can't believe Martin himself said you're going to save Redwall from a huge evil,  
you are so lucky! I mean, that mouse with fur of sable and a blood red thorn, it can only be you!" Pansy stopped chattering and noticed the look of horror on Benji's face.  
She looked in the direction he was staring, and nearly vomited.   
  
At her feet was the tattered remains of Redwalls cellar keeper, the huge hedgehog, Takney Beech. Though it was hard to make out through the spikes, Pansy could tell he was covered in   
thorns. She turned away and shuddered. "Oh Benji! What could possibly have done such a dreadful thing? What's going on, we'd better  
get help, oh Ben..." Benji roughly stuffed his paw over her mouth and silenced her with a wave of his free paw.   
  
"There's somebeast in there!" he whispered tensely. He pointed to a clearing behind a clump of berry bushes. Being careful not to step on the carcass of Takney,  
the two mice peered through the bushes.   
  
Two vixens were sitting preening themselves. Behind them stood the most fearsome fox Benji had ever seen.  
He was a huge beast, with dark red fur, darker than the night but stil red. around his neck hung a golden medallion, glinting in the fading sun.  
On it was engraved a two swords crossing in the middle. He wore fine silken clothes red as blood, and in his paw he carried a huge war club.  
He twirled it as if it were weightless. On his shoulder was a huge black Raven, larger that the fox's head. He was black as the night and  
looked as evil as his master.  
  
"Did you do it?" he asked menacingly. The two vixens immediately stopped admiring themselves and smiled evily.  
  
"Yes master. We posed as passing fortune tellers. The fools let us in right away. We know all there security measures. There was one who was not taken in by the act, but we...  
disposed of him"  
  
"Excellent Blackheart. I knew you would be the perfect mate. Keep teaching our daughter and she will soon learn all the tricks of  
the trade from her cunning parents. Now, go back to the camp and imform the horde. Tomorrow we attack Redwall"  
  
The Raven gave a loud, evil sounding caw.  
  



End file.
